The seven-county Birmingham region is growing at half the rate of its surrounding metropolitan areas, and sees almost half of its homegrown talent leave after graduation.

But over the next decade, the area will need workers trained in information technology and financial operations, and future jobs will require more college and certified degrees.

That's the verdict of a report released today by the Bold Goals Coalition of Central Alabama's Workforce Action Network. Its release is the launch of a public engagement campaign officials are starting to spur an alignment of education and workforce training for economic development.

"Building (it) Together: A Framework for Aligning Education and Jobs in Greater Birmingham," was developed by Burning Glass Technologies, a labor market analytics firm, and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), an adult learning non-profit.

Birmingham is only the second region in the U.S. to commission this kind of report.

An emerging conversation

More than 125 businesses and industries took part in focus groups to prepare the report from the Bold Goals Coalition, a partnership of public and private sector groups looking to address gaps in education, health and financial stability.

And now that the report is out, a slate of regional community presentations and conversations will take place through August, in hopes of drafting a strategic plant to act on the report's recommendations.

Bill Jones, co-chair of the Bold Goals Coalition Education Steering Committee, said a great deal of work went into compiling the findings.

"We need to make significant decisions about our future using this information, and we cannot make those decisions in silos," Jones said. "People across the seven-county region will be welcomed with open arms into this process, so we can truly build a transformational plan together."

The report's purpose is to chart a steady course in an uncertain and shifting landscape of disruptive innovation and economic opportunity. At a time when Birmingham features bold startup companies and the promise of renewal, the report presents a slate of goals for producing the next generation of workers to propel the region forward.

"The pace of economic change and increase in competition domestically and internationally has resulted in only two options for communities: growth or decline," the report states. "Greater Birmingham is facing a crucial moment to speed growth along with its competitor cities."

Kristina Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible, said the report will give the region "a better sense of what employers are looking for, and how we can create and capture opportunity so that more of our region's families are economically secure."

A shrinking pool

The report paints a sobering picture. Birmingham's key industries, it says, are non-traded businesses that involve money moving within the region, rather than bringing in wealth from outside through traded industries. This is a liability in an increasingly interconnected world.

More than three-fourths of the region's workforce is operating in low- or middle-skill positions at a time when jobs are moving toward more specialization and higher level training, as well as automation. Yet at the same time, the region's learning institutions are producing skilled graduates who take their talents elsewhere.

The report recommends:

*Identifying emerging companies and jobs in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and information technology, among other fields.

*Job training for those industries.

*Recruiting executive talent, and "risk taking" to change the local economy.

* Expansion of cooperative and alternate training, and increasing high school graduation rates and post-secondary educational attainment.

Moving forward

UAB President Ray Watts said his school is already using the report's findings and recommendations.

"For example, we are planning to grow our computer science department over the next five years so that we can at least double our number of graduates for the information technology industry," Watts said.

Sanjay Singh, chairman of the Birmingham Business Alliance's Workforce Development Advisory Council, said the BBA will work to implement the recommendations.

"We live in a knowledge-based economy where the most important resource is our workforce," he said. "We have to proactivity ensure they are equipped, trained and aligned with our growing industries."

Taking part in the Bold Goals Coalition Workforce Action Network are Alabama Possible, Alabama Power, Birmingham Business Alliance, Central Six AlabamaWorks!, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Jefferson State Community College, United Way of Central Alabama and UAB.